USA Today sports columnist: Tom Brady must ‘publicly disavow’ Trump

A USA Today sports columnist says New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady deserves “to get some tough questions” on President Trump as his team prepares for the Super Bowl.

“Tom Brady no longer gets a pass on his friendship with Donald Trump,” wrote Nancy Armour, a veteran sportswriter. “Not after this weekend, when the country boiled over in rage and indignation at Trump’s decision to turn America’s back on refugees.”

Armour said the 39-year-old quarterback — who did not campaign with Trump — cannot dismiss his friendship with Trump when he answers questions from the press leading up to Sunday’s game against the Atlanta Falcons.

{mosads}”It’s only now, when he’s facing questions and criticism, that he thinks the friendship should be off limits. But it doesn’t work that way. If you stake out a position, you need to own it. Or if you’ve had a change of heart, explain why,” Armour wrote.

The columnist conceded that she doesn’t know if Brady is aligned with Trump’s perspective or policies, but says he should “disavow” him regardless.

“Brady might not agree with Trump’s views or his policies … but in refusing to publicly disavow Trump’s actions, Brady is giving tacit endorsement to both Trump and the chaos he has created,” she argued.

Armour concluded her column by stating that any harsh treatment Brady receives from the press this week is ultimately a situation he created.

“Regardless of whether he was duped into being a prop or is genuinely friends with Trump, Brady inserted himself into the national firestorm. He can’t be surprised that people want to know more. And now expect more,” she writes.

Trump and Brady have said they are golfing buddies. Brady was spotted with a “Make America Great Again” hat in his locker shortly after Trump launched his presidential bid. Asked in September 2015 whether he would like to see a Trump White House, Brady said: “It would be great. There would be a putting green on the White House lawn, I can tell you that.”

But Brady largely avoided answering questions about Trump throughout the race.

Trump, however, touted the quarterback’s support on the campaign trail.

Both the Falcons and Patriots meet the media tonight in a televised prime-time event from Houston on NFL Network starting at 8 p.m.